Since 2003 the respondent had her own firm specializing in bankruptcy and family law. The respondent maintained an IOLTA account to handle the receipt and distribution of client funds.

Between July 1, 2004 and May 2008, the respondentís IOLTA account was not properly reconciled every sixty days, the check register lacked client identifiers, the respondent did not calculate a running balance, the respondent did not maintain individual ledgers for each client matter, and there was no ledger for the respondentís personal funds in the account to cover bank charges. The respondent also deposited earned fees into the IOLTA account and authorized withdrawals directly from her IOLTA account to pay personal expenses. The respondent negligently misused client funds to pay unrelated client obligations or personal expenses, without causing deprivation to those clients.

Bar counsel asked the respondent three times to bring her account records into compliance with Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15. The respondent did not do so until May 2010.

The respondentís conduct in failing to perform a three-way reconciliation of the account violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15(f)(1)(E). Her conduct in failing to keep an account ledger with a client identifier after every transaction and list of every transaction and running balance violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15(f)(1)(B). The respondentís conduct in failing to keep individual client ledgers with a list of every transaction and running balance and failing to keep a ledger or other records of her personal funds for bank fees and expenses violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15(f)(1)(C), and (D). The respondentís negligent misuse of client funds in the IOLTA account violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.3 and 1.15(b).

On July 7, 2010, bar counsel filed a petition for discipline, and the parties filed the respondentís answer and a stipulation in which the parties agreed that the appropriate sanction was public reprimand. On July 12, 2010, the Board of Bar Overseers voted to sanction the respondent by public reprimand.

1 Compiled by the Board of Bar Overseers based on the record of proceedings before the Board.